This invention relates generally to a computerized autoscoring system for a bowling alley and, more particularly, to video generation circuitry of a character-based computer system for handling and transmitting bowler/score information to a console display screen or overhead monitor display screen.
During the past decade, bowling centers have begun to install autoscoring systems comprised of highly sophisticated software and hardware. The computerized systems are practical for electronically keeping track of game information such as players' names or initials, bowling scores, averages, handicaps, the "up" player, etc.
In addition, computerized bowling systems are also capable of providing entertainment through versatile and colorful graphics capability as displayed on a TV-like color screen such as a red, green, blue (RGB) color monitor. For example, some computer systems can display cartoon-like animation for advertising or for simulating a significant bowling achievement such as that of bowling a strike.
Powerful 16/32 bit Central Processing Units (CPUs) are typically used in the most recent bowling systems to provide the above-described functional flexibility and dynamic graphics capability.
A.M.F. discloses in U.S. Pat. No. B1 4,887,813 a computerized automatic bowling scoring system using a Motorola 68000 16-bit microprocessor. Because the large microprocessor used by A.M.F. bas 16 bits, the system is able to employ bit-mapped graphics. In other words, every pixel written on a display screen (CRT) can be changed individually. As a result, sophisticated and realistic outputs can be displayed. However, the high cost of the powerful microprocessor is a significant drawback in employing a bit-mapped method. Another drawback in employing a bit-mapped method is that in order to write text to a monitor, computer software has to copy the bit-mapped character pixel-by-pixel from a reference table in video memory to the display screen which is a time consuming process for a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system. As can be imagined, a large portion of memory must be dedicated to storing and writing each pixel to an RGB monitor.
In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive character-based bowling autoscoring system accessing alphanumeric and/or graphical characters in character-by-character fashion using single and double width character sets with a relatively small CPU and which yet substantially duplicates the graphical capability of a much more expensive bit-mapped system.
It is another object of the present to widen the displayed characters by reducing the dot frequency or rate of transmission of alphanumeric and/or graphical character digital information to a monitor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide multiple character sets each representing the same alphanumeric or graphical characters but in different styles or fonts.
It is yet object of the present invention to provide video memory which can store additional pages of character information while a current page of information is being displayed on a monitor. The additional pages of stored character information permit rapid monitor display switching or animation capability when each of a plurality of additional pages of information is downloaded to the current display memory and display monitor.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide video signal encoding and decoding circuits so as to reduce from a large number to one or two the number of coaxial cables, in the present instance from five to one, running from a floor-based console to a remote overhead console.